help me fix my back!

I have had a nagging low back issue for going on 4 or 5 months now. I believe it started when I was squatting deep without the necessary mobility. it started as minor irritation and has since progressed to significant pain and stiffness. it is always worse in the morning, then gets significantly better in a half hour or so as I get up and move around (but when I first get up it can be so bad that I have to lower myself onto the toilet or go down on 1 knee to pick something off the floor). xray revealed no mechanical disc issues so i believe it is an irritation which causes tightened muscles in an attempt to protect the joint.

Here is what I am doing:
1. doing overhead squats (bodyweight only) to improve mobility
2. stretching overall, but hip flexors and hamstrings especially
3. doing lying alternate knee-to-chest and opposite arm raises
4. applying a whole host of topicals including Voltaren (topical diclofenac), arnica, magnesium
5. Taking a slew of supplements including cissus, magnesium, hyaluronic acid, eggshell membrane, serrapeptase and boswellia
6. experimenting with different mattresses (I have 2 beds plus 1 mattress topper).
7. using a plastic massage tool with nubbies that gets in deep. I work my lower back really good while I am sitting around

I have totally stopped all squatting and deadlifting and am trying to avoid any exercise that causes me to feel tension or irritation in the lower back. however, sometimes even something as simple as picking up a heavy dumbbell can seem to wrench my lower back so I am in pain afterward.

so my questions are as follows:

a) Any other stretches I should be doing?
b) Any modalities I should be investigating? Chiro- or physio-wise?
c) I was thinking of getting one of those electrical muscle massage thingies or a TENS unit. anyone have experience with these?
d) Any leg exercises I can do in the meantime so that my lower half does not completely atrophy?

thanks guys. I really want to get my back fixed so I can get back to squatting and deadlifting.

I deal with a bulging lumbar disc currently.... Have been for years.... Just now feeling like my lower back is getting stronger and it isn't as painful but the disc is still out of place and limits mobility.

I do a decent amount of back extensions and go slow making sure I am stretching and pullin myself up with only my muscles. A lot of the time 3x15 is enough and it has worked wonders. I also incorporated front squats and when done right they really focus on the lower back while I keep upright. Stiff legged deads, helped stretch out my back and I could focus on doing the movement right. Good mornings are the same way....


I also incorporated this chair stretch for my lower back that helps a ton along with rumble rolling...
This is the portion of the stretch that explains how to do it. I often grab the chair to aid in pulling myself further down to be able to fe a deeper stretch and hold.

Some people like to perform this lower back stretch while seated on the floor with their legs extended in front of them. However, if you lack flexibility in your calves, hamstrings and lower back, you're better off performing this stretch while seated in a chair.

Sit upright in a chair; keep your spine straight and your head held erect above your shoulders.
Place your palms in your lap. Relax your shoulders and arms.
Place your feet at least hip width apart; you may want to separate the feet even more. If your feet are further apart than the width of your hips, turn your toes in toward one another slightly.
Inhale; when you exhale, lean forward over your thighs. Allow your hands to dangle on either side of your feet. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your neck elongated.


I hope something In This post helps!!

For me, no matter what I did my back hurt. It's almost a time issue. I would concentrate on your rehab work and give it time. Your strengthening your core, so your on the right track. Sometimes it's just muscles being super tight. Check to see if your hamstrings are really tight and non-limber ( is that a term? ), as this can pull on your back and make the pain worse. If your overweight, dropping some lbs always helps to releve some discomfort.

What do you do for cardio? What else was going on when the problem started?

My suggestion would be loosening up before bed and then first thing in the morning with a hot shower.

Are you sure it's actually back pain and not tight hips/glutes? I don't see anything regarding foam rolling the area along with mobility work for the hips and groin.

Rodja, I think the problem started because of mobility issues in my posterior chain and hip flexors that made deep squatting hard on my back. so that definitely played a role in causing it. but the pain is present entirely in the lower back. sometimes it radiates into the glutes and down the legs but i can tell it is not originating there. I also forgot to mention that I am foam rolling everything, lower back included, as well as using the nubby massager i mentioned to work in deep in the lower back.

xxiv, I do outdoor training once a week with sleds, sledgehammers, farmer's walks. I also do sprinting maybe once a week. In addition I walk a lot. as far as what else was going on,my program was really squat-intensive and probably lacked sufficient mobility work. that's what caused it i think

The hips play a HUGE role in lower back health. For example, a tight psoas and glute med/min can result in a tight lumbar region. For the hips, I find a foam roller to be the first step to get out the initial tightness before moving up to a baseball.